


Remembering the Current

by orphan_account



Category: Free!
Genre: Flashback, Gen, Kink Meme, M/M, Time Travel, sleepover, time traveling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-04
Updated: 2013-10-04
Packaged: 2017-12-28 10:46:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/991131
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haru somehow accidentally travels back in time. A bit confused but going with the flow, he decides to make the best of it and goes to see if he can find Rin as a child. Rin and Haru are dating and Haru thinks it would be fun to see Rin again when he was little. Besides, he thinks that maybe he can warn Rin about some stuff that happens in the future to try and spare him from being so miserable. Haru hated watching him suffer for so long.</p><p>Done as a kink meme request.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nostalgia

The first thing he felt was a throbbing pain in his head, followed by a loud ringing in his ears. The floor was cold on his cheek, he noted, then wondering how he ended up on the white tile to begin with. Distinctive from the buzzing in his ears, he caught the shrill sound of a whistle, followed by consecutive splashes of swimmers entering a pool.

A pool.

Alert and awake now, he picked himself up from the floor. Massaging his aching temple, he noted the pale blue lockers that surrounded him. The walls were a bright yellow in contrast, reminding him of days long gone. Yellow benches sat floor- clothes, towels, and water bottles scattered across them. A startling sense of deja-vu only added to his confusion. Wherever he was, it looked exactly like his old swimming club locker room. The nagging sense of nostalgia dragged him towards the lockers, to where his old locker would have been in this same setup. The locker itself was slightly open and, after a quick check if the coast was clear, he opened it. 

There, inside, lay the same bag he carried five years ago. The same towel peered out of the same bag; the same ridiculously glittery animal stickers given to him by Nagisa were stuck to the inside of the same wall. Haru blinked. Slowly, he reached inside the locker and touched the towel that lay inside. It was soft to the touch- slightly damp. Had his dreams been this vivid and immersive before?

This couldn't be happening. 

Moving on memory, he move three rows across, to where Nagisa's locker would have been. Left unlocked like his own, he opened it. Inside lay Nagisa's backpack and duffel in a messy heap. Makoto's locker was locked (he was always so good about these things), leaving him to head towards Rin's locker. He realized he had purposefully saved this locker for last; if this was a dream, he hoped it would be one where Rin was still part of the team. If it wasn't, hopefully he would figure out a way to wake himself up and find Rin asleep beside him. Holding his breath, he pulled on the locker door.

Locked. A sigh escaped his lips in frustration. Of all the times for Rin to lock his locker…

The sound of the whistle echoed against the locker room walls once again. If he remembered correctly, swim practice would end at 17:00 when they were younger. He turned to the top right wall. The clock that had always hung there still turned. 16:50. Practice would be over shortly, and they would be heading to their lockers soon. In that case, he probably shouldn't been in there. 

Exiting the locker room, Haru entered the long hallway. Memories flowed through him as he traversed along the bright blue walls and across the white tiled floor. The smell of chlorine permeated through the air. How long had it been since he had gone with Makoto and Nagisa to the swimming club? The peeled paint was once again fresh against his fingers, not a trace of dust or leaves touched the floor. They had gone to dig up the old…

The trophy. If this was more than a dream, and if he had in fact traveled to the past, the one way to check would be by the championship pictures hanging from the wall. Quickening his pace, he traversed the building, surefooted with every turn as if it was his own home. At last he came to the wall of pictures, pinpointing exactly where their championship picture…should have been. It wasn't there. Had they not won the relay yet…?

To his left, came the loud sound of a heavy door swinging open, followed by the excited chatter of children as they entered the hallway in a soaking mass. Keeping cool, he continued to focus on pictures, the way he was positioned didn't have him facing the group directly, but angled just enough that he could manage a quick glance or two without being noticed. Nagisa's voice was the first he identified as he came through the doors. The boy was cheerfully talking with another boy he vaguely remembered from class, though he hadn't remembered his name. Then came the moment where he saw himself next to Makoto- and Rin! As usual, Rin and Makoto were chatting about something (this time it seemed to be about whether hot or cold showers were better) as the younger version of himself walked between the two, eyes shifting from one to the other, silently absorbing the conversation. Quickly, he turned back to the pictures. This was all so surreal. Had he managed to go back in time? 

"Hey! You!" A call came from the pool door as an older man walked through, his hair blonde and a coach's whistle around his neck. Sasabe looked directly at him. "You! Do you need help with anything? See your face there?" Haru stiffened in surprise, suddenly scrambling for a good response.

"I had a friend who said he was in one of the pictures here." He responded, surprised that his voice remained leveled.

"Oh. You haven't swam here?" A nostalgic version of Sasabe looked him up and down, "I see you're on the Iwatoba swim team by your jacket. See, I was thinking you looked familiar, but I can't exactly place how, you know?" Haru didn't respond, leaving Sasabe to mull the thought over himself. Eventually he gave a deep sight and a dismissing wave. "Ah, see? I'm getting old, forgive me. I feel like I've coached a million kids; everyone starts looking a bit familiar. Anyway, enjoy your day and let me know if you need anything." He said, scratching his head and making his way down the hall. Haru's eyes followed his old coach down the hall till he was out of sight. Whatever he had gotten himself into was truly an odd situation.


	2. Rin

Something felt entirely odd about sitting at a bench outside, waiting for children to leave swimming practice, but he ignored the thought and continued to do so. It had been about an hour since practice had let out and many had gone home already, except for their small group. For the moment, he cursed the long time he spent listening to their conversations after practice. 

Within the hour, he had tested to see if he was indeed stuck in a dream- starting with attempting to breathe underwater. In the far corner of the main pool, he had stuck his head underneath the surface and attempted to breathe. The result was nothing embarrassment and choked coughs as he resurfaced, the concerned eyes of the elderly water aerobics group watching him leave. He smiled to himself imagining how both Makoto and Rin would have chastised him for such a feat. 

Since then, he'd accepted the fact that he'd indeed traveled to the past. A past where Rin hadn't gone to Australia yet. Not that he knew anything about time travel, but he figured that him meeting himself might be a bad idea entirely. Talking to Makoto's younger self might cause him to panic, and that wasn't necessary. Nagisa, even if sworn to secrecy, would most likely accidentally spill it to Makoto, thus resulting in another panic attack. This left one last confidant-- Rin. Of course, his logic had a certain bias with it as well, seeing that only a few months prior they had confessed to each other and started a relationship. It had always been something he'd wanted; something they'd both realized after the formation of the Iwatoba High Swim Team. They'd endured a lot of pain to get to where they were, Rin taking the brunt of it. He wondered if this opportunity was a chance to possibly warn Rin of the future, if not just prevent it all together. 

"See you guys tomorrow!" A familiar cheerful voice broke him from his thoughts. While in thought he'd managed to miss them leaving. A few yards away, the young redhead in a yellow coat waved as the group parted. Makoto and Nagisa responded with hearty goodbyes as well, though his younger self seemed to mutter the same. Must be exhausted, he thought to himself. 

Well, time to get off the bench. 

Haru shifted off the bench, and begin to follow Rin. Rin's way home was a scenic one; Haru envied that. Though it was far from school, it wasn't too far from the Swim Club, so he never needed to use the train from there home. A steady breeze filtered through the air as dusk settled in, the sky a calming shades of orange and purple. Rin's way home was a scenic one; Haru envied that. 

As he walked, he realized in the time he was waiting, he'd never really thought of how to introduce himself. Hopefully it would just click. But then again, five years later, they were still working on improving their communication skills. Catching up to him quickly, Haru realized he might as well say something at this point.

"Oi, Rin." He internally winced at how completely average the greeting was for such a dramatic event.

"Eh?" The redhead turned around, duffle in hand. Haru couldn't help but stare. He looked so much…younger. Most recognizably, his eyes were so much brighter, his demeanor less stiff and self-aware. At first, Rin's eyes searched him warily. Within a moment, the boy's face slowly softening in surprise as vague sense of recognition took hold of him. "You….are you…Haru's brother?" The boy asked curiously, yet cautiously, as if dealing with stray dog he didn't know he could trust. Haru did the best he could to stifle a smile at Rin's expression, but he couldn't help the semblance of one from forming on his lips.

"You know I've never had a brother." He replied. The other boy opened his mouth in response, closed it again, stuttered a syllable, and then remained silent, his brows knitted in thought, his eyes searching Haru's. "S-So….you're saying…you're Haru…" 

"From the future."

"From the future…." Rin echoed back. The youth looked back at him in silent disbelief for a good minute, Rin's eyes never leaving his own. Slowly, Rin took a step closer. "Haru…….you didn't tell me that you were a time traveler!" Rin started, the volume and speed of his voice increasing with every syllable, "How long have you been hiding something like this? Do Makoto and Nagisa know about this too?" 

"They don't know." He responded, still unable to wipe the smile off of his face. It'd been awhile since he'd seen Rin so energetic and, as no other word could describe it, bouncy. Bright red eyes shined intensely on him as Rin tightly gripped the strap of the duffle by his side. If he didn't know any better, he was sure Rin was debating the appropriateness of a hug. He continued, "This…is my first time doing this actuall-"

His words caught in his mouth he stumbled backward a bit, the wind knocked out of him as he was suddenly embraced around the waist by middle schooler in the yellow coat, his face pressed against his chest.

He'd been right.

Even five years younger, Rin's grip was still as tight as ever. Any thought of detaching the shark from him washed away at the sight of Rin peering up at him, his face beaming, highlighted by a row of surprisingly sharp teeth. When he returned to the future, he'd make a point to get Rin to smile more.

"I noticed! That's a swim jacket you're wearing! You still swim! Which school is that for? Iwatobi? You didn't move, did you? Are you on a swim team? Are you still doing relay? Have you thought about going to the Olympics? Do Makoto and Nagisa still swim? Do I still swi-" The quick-fire questions came to a stop as Haru patted Rin on the head, causing a rather cute squeak from the boy also with a slightly miffed look.

"I can't tell you everything," And definitely not all at once, he thought to himself, "But I do swim. And so do you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> =w= thanks for reading...


	3. Childhood Goals

"So we don't go to the same school?" Rin asked, taking a large bite out of his taiyaki. "That's a bummer." Haru made a noise of agreement and did the same. He was pretty sure this was question number twenty five, though he'd lost track earlier.   
  
After Rin had calmed down a bit, they had both decided to take a detour to the beach. Picking up food along the way, (Rin protesting to treat him and winning, since Haru's wallet didn't seem to time travel with him) they had found a nice spot on the rocks. As daylight began to fade, a few stars shined along the horizon. As nice as this was, the situation still seemed like a work of fiction. As Rin hit him with question after question, his mind wandered to what his younger self was doing now. Probably eating mackerel.  
  
"So…if I go to a different school, do we still swim together?"   
  
"Of course." Haruka responded. There was a lot more that could have been added to that, that _needed_ to be added to that, but no matter how much he tried, telling this optimistic young Rin would be painful. Crushing childhood dreams wasn't something he should have to do.  
  
Rin smiled at the quick response. "That's good! You know, it's hard to imagine not swimming with you, Makoto, and Nagisa now. When I come back from Australia, I hope you all keep up with your training as well!" He said with an air of a taunt.  
  
Bread halfway to his mouth, Haru paused. As if that didn't hit where it hurt. If only he could simply smile and say 'we will', or even say they would stay in touch while he was away. Haru stared bleakly at his fish-shaped bun. Both would be empty promises, he knew that for sure.  
  
"Haru, are you okay?" Rin questioned, leaning forward to catch his eyes.   
  
"Rin…" Haru started. The boy perked up like a puppy, giving him his full attention. In the back of his mind, Haru wondered if Rin had always responded so ardently when he said his name.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Why go to Australia?" He said plainly.   
  
"So I can train to become an Olympic swimmer, like my father wanted to be!" Rin responded happily.  
  
"But that was your father's goal." The came out blunter than Haru had intended it to be, but Rin appeared unfazed.  
  
"Yeah. It was his goal." The younger boy replied. Turning to face the sea, he gazed at the setting horizon, his head propped up by his arms as he sat. "If he hadn't of settled down, I know he would have made it. I believe I can do it, and then we can all go to the Olympics. Me, you, Makoto and Nagisa." He peered back at Haru, a large grin on his face. "Whaddya think?….Eh? Haru?" Rin blinked in concern as Haru looked back at him, his eyes eyes filled with some emotion he wasn't able to decipher. It was like he wanted to say something, but something stronger prevented him from doing so. A wave of worry came over the younger boy.  
  
"I-I'm not going to die or anything in Australia…am I?" Rin asked cautiously, eyes trembling. With that, Haru snapped out of thoughts and frowned.  
  
"Of course not. We wouldn't be together in the future if you did."He stuttered at the end of his sentence, realizing what he had just stated. He hadn't expected himself to confess their future relationship, but then again, it just slipped. Speechless, he expected Rin to say something, but instead,the the redhead laughed.  
  
"Oh yeah! I forgot you said we still swim together! Haha, yeah, forget I asked that. It was a stupid question." As Rin continued to laugh to himself, Haru reddened slightly. Apparently Rin hadn't caught the innuendo.  
  
"It's dark already." Haru commented as he moved to get up from the rocks. The sky had faded to various shades of blue as stars speckled the sky above them. Rin made a noise of surprise as he rolled up his jacket sleeve to check his watch.  
  
"Uwah! You're right…I didn't tell Kou I'd be gone this late either…she's probably worried…" The boy quickly sat up and hopped off the rocks next to Haru, adjusting the strap of his duffel against his side. From the expression on his face, he was sure Rin was more worried for Kou than Kou might be for Rin. It was rare even at their current age that Haru ever saw the two interact as more than 'happen-to be-related' acquaintances; their conversations being straightforward and to the point. It was cute to see Rin show some brotherly concern every now and then in public.   
  
"So, where are you going to stay?" Rin questioned by his side, "You're not going to ask to stay at your house with HaruHaru are you?"  
  
"HaruHaru?"  
  
"Haru…Haru." Rin replied, diverting his eyes for a brief moment. "You know what I mean, the other Haru- the current you. You're older Haru, and it'd be weird…to call you…" Rin's voice trailed off, though Haruka was sure he heard a muttering of 'Haruka-nii' somewhere in his mumbles. Sure, the whole issue was confusing, but it really didn't matter to him what Rin called him or the younger version of himself. Though, truth be told, it would be odd if he was referred to as a big brother from his future boyfriend.  
  
"I'm not sure." Haru answered to the initial question, breaking off Rin's train of thought. To be honest, he thought he would have figured this time traveling thing out by nightfall. After a slight pause, Rin seemed to recall his initial question.  
  
"Oh. Well…I think I can sneak you into my place." Rin said, "I'm pretty sure we have a sleeping bag too." The younger boy hopped in front of him enthusiastically, eyes glittering as if he'd thought of an ingenious idea. "You should stay in my room!"   
  
"But your moth-"  
  
"Mom's been working till really late lately, so if we head back now, I doubt she'll be back from work, or even notice." Rin quickly countered. Placing his hand on his chin, Haru thought for a moment. As enthusiastic as ever, Rin leaned closer to him, his hands balled up into fists by his chest in excitement.   
  
"I'll go then." Haru answered.   
  
"To my place? Really?!"  
  
"Sure." Rin smiled broadly once again, clutching Haru's arm. Haru couldn't help but smile back.  
  
"Yes! I don't think I've had you over! Well, I don't think I've had HaruHaru over. Yet. I have a lot of stuff I've been meaning to show you! If…you don't still remember everything form when I show you in the future…" Haru tried to recall Rin's childhood room. He remembered bits and pieces, but not much. He smiled warmly back at Rin.   
  
"Alright, RinRin."  
  
Rin blushed, giving Haru a peeved grimace that transformed into a sheepish smile against his will. As if to hide it, he turned away, pulling on Haru's sleeve as he started to walk.  
  
"Don't call me that! I don't know if you remember where my house is, but I'll lead you to it…" The smile never left his face as he followed Rin's lead.  
  
This was nice. Sure, he hadn't been able to warn Rin of the future, but maybe it would be best to not alter with the way things were meant to be. In the meantime, reliving the past would be pretty fun.  
  



	4. Kou Intermission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to write something about Kou too!! Kou is a cutie :3c

"I'm home!" Rin called out, kicking off his shoes by the front entrance. Haru looked around the small house; it was exactly the same as he had remembered, though small details here and there filled the gaps in his memory. A pitter-patter of feet came from a room to the side in the hallway in front of them.

"Welcome home onii-chan! It was getting late and I-u-uwah!" Kou cried, her head retreating halfway back into her room. "Rin, why is there someone with you?!" The younger girl was obviously unprepared for her brother to bring an older stranger into the house. Haru felt a bit guilty. 

"Kou, calm down. You remember Haruka, right? From my class?" Edging out of the doorway a bit more, Kou pouted.

"Of course I remember Haruka-senpai! You never stop talking about him." Oh? Haru glanced down at a reddening Rin. 

"I don't talk about him that much!" He retorted, "Anyway, this is Haru too. He's….Haru from the future." 

"Hey Kou." Haru responded placidly. The girl blinked, her eyes shifting between him and her brother. 

"He looks like your friend…" She said, slowly edging out into the hallway. Already dressed for bed, the white frills at the bottom of Kou's pale pink nightgown brushed across her feet as she left her room. 

"I told you that he is." Rin huffed. Haru felt Rin's grip on his arm as he lead him towards the door to his room across from Kou's. "He doesn't really have any place to stay, it's not like he can stay at h is own house, and I don't want him to sleep outside, so I invited him here…just don't let Mom know he's here, okay?" 

"Um, I guess…" Kou responded sheepishly, eyes still glued on Haru. To he honest, he hadn't expected Kou to give in so easily to Rin's blunt explanation. But then again, he couldn't recall a time where trust was an issue between the Matsuoka siblings. In retrospect, Haru couldn't recall many times before the start of the swim team that he had interacted with Kou. Every now and then she came to watch at practice and walk with him home, but usually, she was out with her own friends from her grade. Suddenly, he felt a sudden pull on his other arm.

"Wait a minute!" Kou said, clutching onto Haru's arm. "I have a question! About my future! If you tell me, I won't tell Mom about him!" Rin frowned.

"Ok, fine. But one question…" Her brother replied. Haru blinked. Since when had he become so objectified…

"Okay! Haruka-senpai!" She started, a pink blush forming on her cheeks, "Do I have…do I have a really cool boyfriend in high school?" Haru had expected the question, Rin on the other hand, made a sound that he could only relate to a pissed-off cat. 

"A boyfriend?! Don't you have other things to worry about in your future?" He hissed. Kou's face seemed to puff up in agitation as her face grew redder. 

"It's just a question!"

"It's a stupid question! Why would you want to date anyone in high school anyway?"

"Because that's what you're supposed to do in high school, onii-chan…!"

The quarrel continued back and forth between them both, Haru glancing from Rin to Kou. All the while, he realized that he wasn't quite sure if Kou had a boyfriend or not; it was never something they talked about.

"You could…" Haru thought aloud. Both of them ceased their squabble and looked at Haru. "But, I'm not sure. It's never something we talked about." Kou frowned, but nodded.

"Yeah, I guess it would be weird to talk to Rin's friends about boyfriends." 

"Not like I'd let you have one to begin with." Rin taunted. Kou ignored the gab though, yawning loudly.

"Well, I'm heading to bed now. I won't tell Mom tomorrow. Good night Rin! Happy, um, time traveling, Haruka-san." She said with a wave goodnight as she entered her bedroom. They waved back, and as her door closed, Rin let out a relieved sigh and looked up at Haru.

"She doesn't really have a boyfriend, does she?" He questioned earnestly. Taking a quick check at Kou's door, he turned back to Rin and shook his head. 

"I'm pretty sure she's available..." He teased. Rin squinted his eyes and grimaced back at him as if he suddenly smelled of dead fish. 

"Don't get any ideas. She's my sister. That's gross. No." 

God he was adorable.

"So, your room..." Haru said, changing the subject. Rin huffed, but said nothing more on the matter. If only he knew the truth, Haru wondered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I updated this b4 i updated the kink meme....oop.  
> Sorry if it ended abruptly!! Get excited for next chap!!  
> Sorry if its short and fluff of fluff  
> Sorry if its rushed  
> Sorry for typos if u see any  
> this whole chapter is a sorry


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